Plain View
by Frozen Meatballs
Summary: DenSu Week 2016 Day 5:"Then Comes Marriage". Eleven years. He is thirty one and Matthias is thirty two. It was time. Lovestruck Berwald decides to finally propose to his long time partner Matthias. Original poem included in the story.


Plain View  
by: Frozen Meatballs

DenSu Week 2016 Day 5 Prompt: "Then Comes Marriage"

Eleven years.  
He is thirty one and Matthias is thirty two. It was time.

DenSu Week Event Blog: densu-week .tumblr. com (remove spaces)

" _Plain View" is dedicated to my fish that got constipated and was beside me floating around while I typed this. I'm so sorry Shigeru it won't happen again. I promise._

 _._

Eleven years

He is thirty one and Matthias is thirty two. It was time.

In the years that passed, Berwald has tried many things. He's read about the red strings of fate, timer theories, soul mates etc etc. But nothing's assured him if he and Matthias would last. Until on his and Matthias' birthday celebration, his friend Eírikur finally triggered it.

"So..." Eírikur asked in between munching his brother's famed butter cake "... the two of you are practically a married couple. When the hell are you gonna make it official?"

Needless to say, Berwald was absolutely horrified.

He didn't know who should make the first move. Should it be Matthias because he was the one who courted him all those years ago or would it be him because he's the one realizing that Matthias is the _one_? What if he refuses? Would his eleven years with the man he loves be of waste? Those were among the various questions asked by Berwald and it made him feel like a high school girl with her crush all over again.

But then how? How would he propose? Does he do it in a restaurant? A bit too cliché, apparently. How about the park? Maybe he should get some friends to help him; like they could hold up some banner or stuff. As he worked as a librarian in the local library, he thought of these things. And as he worked one day, he received a text from Matthias.

 _"Hej, ber~ planning 2 drop by there 2morow and help myself a book or two. 'been into this mystery show I accidentally switched the channel to and mybe u could help suggest me a mystery book mny people borrow? Tnx! :*"_

And with that simple text he had a brilliant idea.

The following day, Matthias did pay a visit in the library and Berwald already found the perfect book for him.

.

Matthias was absolutely ecstatic.

Shows were really nice. Proved how much humanity has greatly evolved in the field of entertainment. But nothing beats books. His favorite author is the famous Danish fairy tale writer Hans Christian Andersen. So when he got hooked up to this mystery documentary on television, he wanted-he needed to get his hands on a mystery book. Having the local librarian as your boyfriend also has its perks on this, so he immediately contacted Berwald regarding this new interest of his. He dropped by the library after his work in a nearby bakery to fetch his boyfriend and the book he asked to borrow.

In the evening that came, Matthias noticed one thing.

Berwald was acting strangely.

And he was quite unsure why. The bakery shop owner, his boss Lukas, usually gave comments on how his thick headedness was great and not so great in handling customers, but he baked and sold bread and pastries really well so he doesn't complain much. He was pretty aware of this when it comes to other people but not Berwald. After living with him for almost a decade now and being with him for more than that, he's learned to master the art of being _able_ to read the air that surrounded him and Berwald.

Which is why he has led to the conclusion that Berwald is acting rather strangely. Being the cheerful him that he was, he decided to play detective. And his first clue…

…the book that he borrowed from the library.

On page one; he was quite baffled to see a small sticky note on it.

 _You might be confused finding this little note here on this book. I'd like to inform you that you will be finding more. DO NOT LOOK FOR THEM RIGHT AWAY please, don't bring this up until you finish the whole book. Just play along, okay? Think of this as a little detective game._

 _-Berwald_

Matthias was proud that Berwald also thought of this as a detective game too. On their bed while waiting for Berwald and before going to sleep, he read through a few pages more excited to find more of the notes Berwald has left him and believe him, it was hard to fight the urge to not simply skim through the pages and find them all but that would ruin Berwald's detective game for him. On page 7, he found another note.

 _1_

 _See here instructions made to woo_

 _Words here lie a message ensued_

 _On notes of these book pages used_

 _Please do value my only request_

 _All of each note you see on this quest_

 _Messages they yield find you as much_

 _Do give oath to not excite and such_

 _This instructions used, well keep it too!_

Matthias was staring hard at the next note he found. He didn't expect to find a riddle like message. Little by little, he tried to understand what it said. To his understanding, it says that the little poem was an instruction that somewhere lays a message and that he should not be excited to find it. Apparently, a bit like the first message he got. As he continued to read through, the door opened and Berwald appeared to enter, At first, he was nonchalant but upon laying his eyes to the book Matthias was reading he froze midway to approaching their bed. Matthias noticed this but since he already has a clue as to why his boyfriend was acting a bit weird, he dismissed this and mentioned how nice the book was much to Berwald's apparent relief. Because of this, Matthias' guesses were correct and that it had to do with whatever was in the book. He decided to continue it tomorrow since it was his day off so he put it away and went to sleep with Berwald.

.

 _2_

 _Here before me, my solemn words_

 _One look, a set of mangled letters_

 _Our love, this tale has sworn_

 _My eyes, to you shine never falters_

Berwald was a bit at loss while sitting down and observing the pile of people silently filling the library. Early this morning, he woke up before Matthias because he did not need to wake up early for his day off. He was leaving Matthias alone and he was sure that he'd continue to read the book. He could hear his heart pounding in both anticipation and anxiety. Berwald was sure Matthias already saw a few notes because he saw that he already passed through a handful of pages that night. He even debated to himself of removing the others left within the pages of the book, but he has got to do this. It's time that he does this.

Back at home, Matthias was chuckling and highly amused to the next note he passed. His uptight and serious looking boyfriend actually had a lovey dovey part of him that he expressed through this first stanza. The tone of it has made Matthias more excited to the next one he'd find and upon reaching page 25, he found another one.

3

 _But I hold back_

 _the words I cannot say_

 _So silent, as my woes cannot convey_

 _an endless song whisper as I lay_

The sudden turn of emotion has left Matthias confused of what he would expect in the end of the book and he began to question what urged him to do this little surprise. It wasn't Valentine's Day nor was it their anniversary; today also wasn't anywhere near his birthday so he's left thinking what could happen as he anticipated the next turn in the book and the poem. It even made him think that in the end, Berwald would break up with him. The thought made him shudder but he scolded himself that he shouldn't be thinking of such things and continued on. By the climax of the story, he found the fourth part.

 _4_

 _Oh my mind is filled with you_

 _I recount a moment, one or two_

 _On that rowdy day, your eyes so blue_

 _My heart rapid with a mere hue_

He blushed upon being reminded of that fateful day he met Berwald. It was a brawl between the gangs they were at. Matthias vs Berwald. No one expected that they, former gang rivals, would end up being together. They eventually were kicked out of their gangs due to it, but it was worth it. Their gang could go continue to be stuck up; they and their eleven years together and counting were worth everything.

Matthias was already around 20 pages left to read when he noticed that it was already four in the afternoon. An hour left and Berwald's shift was to end in the library. He wanted to finish the book and find everything so he could finally mention it to Berwald when he suddenly found another one after flipping a page.

 _5_

 _Here before you, my solemn words_

 _One look, my message echoes through_

 _Our love, eternal and forever true_

Last page. 17:01. Berwald should have left and is about to go home.

Matthias reached the last page and the last note. He's confused. So what happens? That's it? A poem dedicated to him? He collected all the notes he took from the pages and put them together then read them aloud. He was still confused of what to expect when a breeze that came from the open window nearby from where he was reading scattered the sticky notes. He hurriedly picked them up but one of the upturned papers caught his attention. There was something else written on the back in red ink in contrast to the others that was in blue.

" _Read all the first letter of every third word per each line starting from the poem instructions and connect them all."_

What.

He arranged them again in order of when he found them and followed the last instructions

 _1_

 _See here_ _ **I**_ _nstructions made to woo_

 _Words here_ _ **L**_ _ie a message ensued_

 _On notes_ _ **O**_ _f these book pages used_

 _Please do_ _ **V**_ _alue my only request_

 _All of_ _ **E**_ _ach note you see on this quest_

 _Messages they_ _ **Y**_ _ield find you as much_

 _Do give_ _ **O**_ _ath to not excite and such_

 _This instructions_ _ **U**_ _sed, well keep it too!_

 _2_

 _Here before_ _ **M**_ _e, my solemn words_

 _One look,_ _ **A**_ _set of mangled letters_

 _Our love,_ _ **T**_ _his tale has sworn_

 _My eyes,_ _ **T**_ _o you shine never falters_

3

 _But I_ _ **H**_ _old back_

 _the words_ _ **I**_ _cannot say_

 _So silent,_ _ **A**_ _s my woes cannot convey_

 _an endless_ _ **S**_ _ong whisper as I lay_

 _4_

 _Oh my_ _ **M**_ _ind is filled with you_

 _I recount_ _ **A**_ _moment, one or two_

 _On that_ _ **R**_ _owdy day, your eyes so blue_

 _My heart_ _ **R**_ _apid with a mere hue_

 _5_

 _Here before_ _ **Y**_ _ou, my solemn words_

 _One look,_ _ **M**_ _y message echoes through_

 _Our love,_ _ **E**_ _ternal and forever true_

 _._

Berwald raised his hand to knock on the door, but he couldn't. He was too nervous. What if Matthias already finished the book? Matthias was the kind that could be so delved with a book that he could finish it in a few hours. Would he say yes? Or would he need to pack his things now in case he says no? Berwald has never felt sheer crisis in his three decades on earth. Not when he had to tell his mother that he failed one subject. Not even when he had to tell the world that he was gay.

But this was Matthias. His best friend, his partner in crime, his forever love. Berwald gulped, it was now or never. As he gripped the doorknob in case it was open and hoped that he didn't have the knock. But before he could twist the knob, the door opened and revealed the cheerful man that never failed to wait for him all these wonderful years well spent.

"How'd you know I was behind the door?"

Matthias smiled. "You were sweating too much I could hear them dripping from inside. Kidding aside, it's been some fine eleven years, Ber. Think I won't get used to it? "

"So how's the book?" Berwald asked as he entered their house.

"Wonderful. I'd like a read like that all over again and more and more years to come for us."

Berwald raised his brow by the last thing Matthias told him. Matthias heartily laughed and revealed the book he was holding all this time. He held it with two hands over his chest to reveal something sticking on it. On its cover, there was a sticky note with a word sloppily written on it.

 _6_

 _ **Yes**_ _!_

 **.**

A/N: Fic is based on a true story I did for my code loving boyfriend who I also attempted to scare on Valentine's Day 2016 because the book I gave him was horror. Needless to say, I succeeded.

Review?


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